Malta Permanent Residence Programme: What Does It Cost in 2026?

01

Who runs the program?

The Residency Malta Agency runs the program under the Malta Permanent Residence Programme Regulations (S.L. 217.26), made in 2021 under article 7A of the Immigration Act. The fees and contributions now in force were set by L.N. 146 of 2025. The Agency's decisions are final and cannot be appealed (reg. 19(1)).

02

Who can apply?

You must be 18 or over and a third-country national, which here excludes EU, EEA and Swiss citizens (regs 3 and 9(1)). You must apply through an agent licensed by the Agency and listed on its register (regs 4 and 6). You also need clean conduct certificates for yourself and each dependant over 14, health insurance, and stable resources to support your family without Maltese social assistance (regs 12 and 15(1)).

03

How the investment works

There are four parts, and all must be in place before the certificate issues.

1. Capital. When you apply, you show assets of at least €500,000, of which €150,000 is in financial assets, or at least €650,000, of which €75,000 is in financial assets (reg. 9(2)). You must keep that capital for five years from the certificate (reg. 15(1)(g)).

2. Property. Within eight months of approval in principle, you show title to a qualifying home (reg. 9(4)(b)). That means one of these:

A home bought for less can count if works you paid for bring its value to €375,000, backed by an independent architect's report (reg. 3). You hold the qualifying property for five years. After that, you must still own or rent a home in Malta or Gozo (reg. 15(1)(c)). With the Agency's consent you can swap one qualifying property for another, or move from renting to owning.

3. Fees and contribution.

The contribution is the same whether you buy or rent (First Schedule, para. (ii)). Your spouse, children under 18 and adult children with a certified disability pay no dependant fee (First Schedule, para. (i)). All fees are non-refundable.

4. Health insurance. You present a policy covering all risks normally covered for Maltese nationals (reg. 9(4)(d)).

The 2025 amounts also apply to applications filed after 1 January 2025 that were still open when L.N. 146 of 2025 came into force (L.N. 146 of 2025, reg. 16).

04

How long does it take, and can you live there meanwhile?

The regulations set no decision deadline for the Agency. Once you apply, you may ask for a one-year temporary residence permit for yourself and your dependants, renewable for a year at a time if your full file goes in within six months (reg. 9(6)). The Agency monitors your compliance every year for the first five years after the certificate issues, and at its discretion afterwards (reg. 10(3)).

05

Which family members can be included?

The regulations define a dependant as (reg. 3):

• your spouse or partner in a similar relationship, gender neutral;
• your or your spouse's children under 18;
• unmarried children aged 18 to 28 who mainly depend on you;
• parents or grandparents of you or your spouse who are not in full-time work and mainly depend on you;
• adult children with a certified disability.

Dependants can also be added after the certificate issues, for the same fee (reg. 11(2) to (5)).

06

Do you have to live in Malta?

No minimum stay appears in the regulations. The certificate gives the right to reside, settle or stay indefinitely, as long as you keep meeting its conditions (reg. 10(1)). In our view, a family that rarely visits should still keep the qualifying home available, since the Agency may carry out spot checks on the property (reg. 15(1)(c)).

07

Can it lead to Maltese citizenship?

Not on its own. The certificate is a residence permit, and the regulations give no route to citizenship. For the separate merit-based route, see our Malta citizenship by merit guide.

08

What should families from Asia and the Gulf check?

Tax. In our view, the certificate does not by itself settle where you are tax resident, in Malta or at home. Take advice in both countries before you move.

Other Maltese schemes. You cannot hold the certificate while benefiting from certain Maltese tax-status rules, including the Residence Programme Rules and the Malta Retirement Programme Rules (reg. 15(1)(b)).

Paperwork. Every document goes through your licensed agent, who runs know-your-customer checks before filing (reg. 12(1)(b)). Plan for conduct certificates from each country where an applicant lived for more than six months in the last ten years (reg. 12(1)(a)).

09

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